49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”
This is funny. The disciples, total civilians, want to have a sword battle with one sword against professional soldiers with all their weapons, protective gear and training. They wouldn’t stand a chance. And yet, that is their first option. Talk about starting to act without thinking! These guys are a mess. Of course one of them uses the sword and demonstrates their proficiency with the weapon. I am not sure what he was aiming at, but he cuts off the guy’s ear. Either a precision strike or a wildly inaccurate swing! You be the judge. Jesus told his disciples that this was going to happen, that he was going to be handed over to the authorities and killed. And yet, when it happens, they are taken by surprise. The same state of affairs will be when Jesus returns. Too many will be taken by surprise because they do not believe the straight forward statements that are made in Scripture about that return. The disciples do begin to ask the question. Of course one of them is swinging the sword as the question is asked. Not the best timing! How many times do we take the timing of things into our own hands? More often than not we are ahead of schedule. The Lord is more patient than we are. And boy am I glad! So next time you feel like you need to jump in and do something, stop and listen to see if the timing is God’s timing or not. I am not talking about brushing your teeth and things like that. I am talking about redemptive interactions with others and the world. Our actions when they are motivated by our sense of timing and limited understanding of the big picture tend to give the world the wrong impression of Jesus. If this happened today, CNN would broadcast it worldwide as an act of Christian terrorism. We need to be aware of our actions. Let’s be sure we are listening to the Lord’s clear voice before we act.
The Arnold Journey 